Gáe Bulg: The Spear of Death

Stuff To Blow Your Mind

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Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Life Sciences, Science

4.4 • 5.9K Ratings

🗓️ 21 February 2019

⏱️ 47 minutes

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Summary

Irish myth tells of a spear so deadly, that its deployment is certain death. Forged from the bones of sea monsters, the Gáe Bulg would send barbs through its victim’s every vein -- but only if the hero threw it with their foot. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick unravel the myth, history and science of this impractical Irish wonder weapon.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	By this time the two combatants were at the edge feet of swords, then Ferdiet caught Cooholland
0:07.6	unguarded and dealt him a blow with his ivory-hilted blade, which he plunged into Cooholland's breast.
0:14.7	And Cooholland's blood adripped into his belt, and the Ford was red with the blood from the warrior's
0:20.8	body. Cooholland broke not this wounding, for Ferdiet attacked him with a secession of deadly
0:27.5	stout blows, and he asked Lug for Guy Bulga. Such was the nature of the Guy Bulga. It used to be set
0:36.4	downstream and cast from between the toes. It made a one wound as it entered a man's body, but it had
0:43.2	30 barbs, when one tried to remove it, and it was not taken from a man's body until the flesh was
0:49.8	cut away about it. And when Ferdiet heard mention of the Guy Bulga, he thrust down the shield to shelter
0:57.2	the lower part of his body. Cooholland cast the fine spear from off the palm of his hand over the
1:04.0	rim of the shield and over the breast piece of the horn skin so that its farther half was visible
1:10.4	after it had pierced Ferdiet's heart in his breast. Ferdiet thrust up the shield to protect the
1:16.5	upper part of his body, but that was help that came too late. The charioteer sent the Guy Bulga
1:22.8	downstream. Cooholland caught it between his toes and made a cast of it at Ferdiet, and the Guy Bulga
1:29.9	went through the strong thick apron of smelted iron and broke in three the great stone as big as a
1:36.5	millstone and entered Ferdiet's body through the anus and filled every joint and limb of him with
1:43.4	its barbs. That suffices now, said Ferdiet. I have fallen by that cast, but indeed strongly do you
1:51.2	cast from your right foot, and it was not fitting that I should fall by you. And as he spoke, he
1:57.3	uttered these words. Oh hound of the fair feats, it was not fitting that you should slay me. Yours is the
2:04.9	guilt which clung to me. On you my blood was shed. Doomed men who reached the gap of betrayal do not
2:12.4	flourish. Sad is my voice. Alas, heroes have been destroyed. My ribs like spoils are broken. My heart
2:20.8	is gawd. Wood that I had not fought. I have fallen oh hound.
2:30.4	Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind from howstuffworks.com.
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